POLITICIANS' SALARIES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 43, 19 August 1930, Page 9

POLITICIANS' SALARIES

PREACHING AND PRACTICE

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

SYDNEY, 4th August,

I The fact that the Federal Government does not propose to practice, within its own sphere, the economy which it is insistently preaching outi side, by reducing the salaries of Foderal Ministers and members, has evoked a storm of protest in Sydney, in face of the latest staggering Budget and general depression. It was in an unguarded moment, perhaps, that the Prime Minister (Mr. Scullin) let the "cat out of the bag" on this question of pay of Federal politicians, which amounts to £1000 ■a year plus special allowances. Ho was racing oil back to Canberra from Sydney immediately after the financial confernce in Sydney with leading bankers, including Sir Otto Niemeyer, when two pressmen, after having fired other questions at him, casually put to him the indelicate interrogatory about his and his fellow-politicians' salaries. Mr. Scullin might easily have adopted tho old political dodge of evading, the question, but, to tho surprise of the interviewers, he anuwered it unequivocaly and definitely. Federal members' salaries are not to be reduced.

The Sydney Press starred the announcement, and has since been lashing the Government unmercifully over it. In the last five statistical years available, Australia has paid just on £6,----000,000 for its seven Parliaments, 600 politicians, and all the ornamental frills and furbelows of Parliamentary Government. All they appear to be doing is to milk the poor tax cows dry.

Such of tho cable news on this page as Is ao headod has appeared la "Tho limes" and is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should be understood that the opinions are not those <?f "The Times" unless expressly stated to be so,